There are countless ways to promote your real estate business and build your personal brand. Each has its advantages, and not all of them may work well for you. However, one channel which can be effective regardless of your circumstances is starting a blog.

If you already have a website, a blog is a great way to supplement that site with some less-formal content. If you don’t have a website, a blog can stand alone as part of your online presence. Either way, it’s time to take action and start utilizing all the Internet has to offer.

Starting a blog is easy – WordPress, Blogger, and other online services offer free blogging and are simple to set up. They provide a unique domain with several customizable options to fit your needs and style.

Once you’ve set up a blog – but before you write anything – you need to establish a mission and some goals for your blog. Like with any new initiative, you don’t want to dive in head first; take some time to research other blogs, as well as get a general idea of what you hope to accomplish with your own blog. Think about tone and content. Think about how you want to present yourself to the world.

This blog will be a way for you to not only discuss what you’re encountering in the real estate business – the kinds of properties, perspectives on interest rates, etc. – but also to give insight and advice to others. Even if you’re new to real estate, you are an expert in the field. Your blog is a chance for you to have a voice and present yourself as a knowledgeable resource on real estate topics. This allows you to not only focus on what going on in your local geographical area, but also comment on general real estate trends, tips, ideas, and techniques.

Some tips on generating content:

• It’s important that your content is timely and relevant. While it’s okay to talk about “last week” or “last month,” if you’re talking about insights you had years ago (unless you tie those insights back into what’s going on today) no one will want to read it.
• It’s also important to update your blog regularly. Whether it be weekly, every Tuesday and Thursday, or a few, semi-regular times each week, you don’t want your blog sitting dormant for any extended period of time. Use an editorial calendar and set aside specific times for working on your blog.
• Use your blog to build your customer base. Encourage readers to participate, comment, contact you, or otherwise get involved. You also want to make it easy for them to sign up for your mailing list.

It may take a while to get in a good groove, but invest some time into your blog and it will pay off significantly.